Christians mark Good Friday in the Holy Land

JERUSALEM (AP) — Christians in the Holy Land are commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus Christ in Good Friday prayers and processions through Jerusalem's Old City.

Thousands of Christian pilgrims filled the cobblestone alleyways of the Old City on Friday along the Via Dolorosa, Latin for the "Way of Suffering."

They are carrying wooden crosses and following the 14 stations ending at the ancient Church of the Holy Sepulcher. Tradition says the church was built on the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

The Easter holiday and Jewish Passover coincide this year.

According to the Gospels, Jesus ate his last supper — a Passover meal — hours before he was betrayed. Christians believe Jesus was crucified on Good Friday and resurrected on Easter Sunday.